How is thrush diagnosed?

Thrush is easy for a doctor to diagnose. They will look at your tongue and mouth to check for sores. The doctor may scrape one of the sores to get a sample to look at. If you have sores in your throat, they may do a throat culture to examine the fungus.

Can thrush be prevented or avoided?

You can help prevent thrush by practicing good oral hygiene. Brush your teeth, and floss every day. If you use an inhaler, rinse your mouth out after each use. People who have diabetes need to monitor their blood sugar. If you are at risk of getting thrush or have chronic thrush, talk to your doctor about ways to manage the condition.

You cannot avoid newborns from getting thrush, but you can help lower their risk.

Clean and disinfect all bottle and feeding parts after each use.

Clean and disinfect pacifiers and toys that babies put in their mouths.

If you have a yeast infection on your nipples while breastfeeding, talk to your doctor and get treatment.

If you have a vaginal yeast infection during pregnancy, talk to your doctor and get treatment.

Thrush treatment

Your doctor will decide if you have a mild or severe case of thrush. Mild cases often can be treated at home. You can eat yogurt and take acidophilus pills, which are sold over the counter. These help balance the good and bad germs in your mouth. Replace your toothbrush to avoid bad germs. If you have diabetes, you’ll need to lower your blood sugar level.

Severe cases require prescription antifungal treatment, such as:

medicine in either pill or liquid form

mouthwash

lozenges.

The same is true for newborns. Mild cases of thrush resolve on their own. However, if you have a yeast infection on your nipples while breastfeeding, you will need treatment. The doctor can prescribe an antifungal cream to apply. If you don’t treat the infection, you can continue to pass it to your baby. More severe cases of newborn thrush can be treated with prescription antifungal medicine. Often, these are drops that you apply to your baby’s tongue and mouth.

Living with thrush

For most people, oral thrush goes away with treatment. However, it is possible to get chronic, or recurring, thrush. This is more common if you have a weak immune system or related health issue. Talk to your doctor about how to manage thrush. You may need to take an ongoing antifungal medicine.

If thrush is left untreated, the fungus candida can spread. It can cause infection in your: